LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a complaint about councillor conduct. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council dealt with the complaint to warrant our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse his claim for damages after his car was damaged when it was hit by a bin. This is because this is a complaint about negligence which is a legal matter for the courts to consider and decide.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr C’s complaint that his car was damaged due to the Council’s failure to maintain a road. This is because it is reasonable for Mr C to take the Council to court.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint the Council censored her views at a public meeting. Any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement and the concerns raised would be better addressed to her local councillor or MP.

Summary: Mr X complains the Council is refusing to pay his Housing Benefit by any other means except banks transfer. I have concluded my investigation having not made a finding of fault. The Council has discretion with how to make Housing Benefit payment, and there is nothing in the legislation or guidance that obligates the Council to make payment by cash, cheque or any alternative method. It is not for our service to decide how the Council should make such payment and in the absence of Mr X having a bank account, it has offered him a number of alternatives with how it can make the payment.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an application for discretionary housing and council tax support. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and insufficient evidence of injustice.

Summary: Ms X complains the Council failed to provide alternative provision for her daughter, Y from January 2022. Ms X also complains about the way the Council implemented a personal budget. We have found there was a delay by the Council in issuing a final Education Health and Care Plan and fault with its record keeping. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and service improvements to address the injustice caused. We have found no fault with the way the Council considered alternative provision and the personal budget.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to award Mr X a council tax exemption. This is because Mr X has right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal and it would be reasonable for him to use it.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a parking service charge as it is unlikely we will find fault by the Council causing Mr X a significant injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the complainant was prevented from handing out material at a meeting. This is because any injustice is not significant enough to warrant investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an unsuccessful application for a Blue Badge. This is because it is unlikely we would find fault by the Council.

Summary: X complained about how the Council dealt with matters relating to its Building Act powers. X believes the Council failed to act properly and this resulted in large financial losses and a personal injury. We did not investigate this complaint further, because the issues that were raised and the allegations made are more a matter for the courts than the Ombudsman.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions in confiscating material Mr X had handed out at a meeting. This is because his personal injustice is insufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a fixed penalty notice. There is insufficient evidence of fault and if Mr X disputed his liability for the offence, it would have been reasonable for him to raise a defence in court.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to take enforcement action against his neighbour. There is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the process followed by the Council to close a local school. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to renew its lease on his property and damage caused by a previous tenant. We could not add to the Council’s investigation or achieve anything more. If Mr X believes the Council liable for the damage caused by the tenant, it is reasonable for him to take the Council to court.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision that the complainant cannot join the housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about personal injuries suffered by Mrs X after she fell over the feet of a bench. This is because it is reasonable to expect Mrs X to go to court to determine any liability owed by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council’s Monitoring Officer dealt with a complaint about the conduct of a councillor. We are unlikely to find fault in the Council’s actions.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s issuing of a Certificate of Lawfulness to Ms X’s neighbour and its decision not to take enforcement action against a planning breach. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s approach to parking enforcement on a local road. This is because the Council has cancelled the penalty charge notice issued to Mr X and it is unlikely further investigation would achieve anything more for him.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with an application for prior approval. This is because we are unlikely to find fault. The complainant has also not suffered significant injustice.

Summary: There was no fault in how the Council considered and decided to withhold a COVID-19 self-isolation support payment. We have therefore completed our investigation.

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation of this complaint, about the Council’s handling of an allegation against the complainants from a housing provider. This is because it is late.